Mercedes Benz G63 AMG

But you’re forgiven if you saw them and wondered if you inadvertently clicked on a review of the 2018 model, or if perhaps we’d accidentally used photos of a 2010 model. Or a 2002 model. Or heck, a vintage Geländewagen from 1979, the first year it went on sale.

That’s because the G-Wagen’s body, doors, frame, even its pushbutton door handles have gone pretty much unchanged for the last 39 years, even as its interior steadily grew more opulent and its engines became much, much stronger. And all the while, it has been one of the world’s most dexterous off-roaders, a quality without which the G-Wagen would, ironically, lose much of its street cred, thus reducing it to a kitschy, thirsty nearly three-ton fashion statement.

But beloved though it may have become over the years (generations, actually) there was much about this hand-built brute ‘ute that made it feel not only like an icon, but a relic, too.

The windshield came down mere inches from the steering wheel. Wind rushed by at a deafening roar at highway speeds. And perhaps most egregious, the lack of conventional cupholders left no room for a venti soy no-whip mocha. And still, the outgoing G550 was capable of seducing buyers out of a minimum of $125,000 ($145K in the sportified AMG G63’s case).

Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz figured it was finally time to give folks willing to shell out six figures for the SUV’s military-industrial styling and mountain goat dexterity a truly modern vehicle for their expenditure.

Modernizing an icon like this can be tricky, though, like yanking an old tablecloth from a fully set table. While your guests are still eating. Veryrich guests, who are enjoying their meal and like much about the current table décor.

In the case of the G-Class, that meal and decor include the looks, as well as certain aspects of the experience of using it, like the pushbutton door handles and the signature “click” that accompanies their closing.

And that’s exactly why the door handles are among just five parts that Mercedes chose to keep as it redesigned one of its most iconic products after its 39-year run. The other four include the spare tire cover, the tiny headlamp washer nozzles, and a couple of minor interior components located in places that don’t get a lot of light. Everything else about the redesigned 2019 G-Class is new.

The new G-Class is two inches longer, nearly five inches wider, far more aerodynamic, and several hundred pounds lighter than the vehicle it replaces. Yet each of its predecessor’s signature features are present and accounted for, from its three-sided wheel openings to the barnacle-style turn signals to the mid-body rub strips to the roof panel seam running above doors and tailgate.

Park the new G side-by-side with a 2018 model and you’ll notice softer edges, sleeker nose contours, tighter panel gaps, and more rake for its still-flat windshield. Those big round headlamps return, now lit by LEDs and circumscribed by rings of light. The taillamps stay low and rectangular whilst also adopting LEDs.

Opening the big tailgate still feels tantamount to swinging out a wall, and it still grants access to a cargo floor as high as your waist. So, if you’re a G-Class customer who brings a lot of stuff with you, make sure you park with a lot of room behind you, and don’t cancel your gym membership.

Whereas the exterior designers strove to replicate the original G-Wagen, interior designers strove for a full-scale revolution. And they got one. Apart from the passenger-side dashboard grab handle, there’s almost no visual connection between the new and old G-Classes. Instead, with its dual 12.3-inch displays, jet-engine air vents, and updated switchgear, there’s now a clear connection to the current Mercedes family, not to mention a genuine sense of occasion.

Along with the newfound style is newfound space. The additional width has yielded a wider front center console that now contains storage, the infotainment system controls, and yes, two cupholders. Plus, there is sufficient shoulder room for three adults in back. And a huge 6-inch increase in legroom allows the trio in back to also bring their legs, thus righting one of the old G’s greatest wrongs.

With its 416-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine, the G550 remains America’s entry-level G for 2019. The sportified AMG-tuned G63 again represents a more decadent choice, using the same engine but packing a prodigious 577 horsepower. The G63 also adds larger brakes, a beefier adaptive suspension, more supportive seats, and a flat-bottom steering wheel.

Visually, the two G-Wagens are somewhat tough to tell apart, with the AMG model marked by its squarer front bumper with larger air intakes plus a vertical grille treatment to visually relate to AMG’s other models. Both variants retain side-exiting exhaust pipes—and both sound soooo good!—but only the AMG 63’s extended chrome pipes can be both seen and heard, poking forth from beneath the rear door.

I spent a fair bit of time driving both, on-road and off-, at the global media introduction in France. With the redesign, the G550 and G63 seemed closer in character than ever, which says more about the new G550’s competence than any shortcoming of the G63.

Both are quite pleasant on pavement, no longer feeling harsh and tippy. They feel heavy, but not unwieldy, and the G63 is remarkably fast and surreally grippy when you ask it to hike up its skirts and run. Wind noise still erupts around the mirrors at highway speeds, but both are calmer, quieter and more stable creatures that steer more accurately, ride much better, and accelerate more eagerly. And current owners will be happy to know that the feeling of superiority they love in their current models remains, thanks to a tall seating position and commanding view through the vertical windows.

Driven to extremes

Both are astounding off-road, of course. With such aggressive approach/departure angles, contortionist levels of wheel travel, super-short low-range gearing, 9.5 inches of ground clearance, and of course, a trio of locking differentials, getting stuck wasn’t only unlikely, it was all but impossible. I deftly negotiated boulders, cruised up steep grades, and even caught air on high-speed whoop-de-dos in the G63.

New technology helps with off-roading. With the 360-degree cameras and dynamic guidelines, negotiating obstacles without a spotter is much easier. The new G-Class models also feature a unique set of off-road displays in the center screen that depict the vehicle’s attitude and present data such as gradient, side angle, compass, steering angle, and differential lock status.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class arrives in late 2018, with prices expected to pick up where its predecessors left off. You’ll still spend roughly $125K for the G550 and $145K for the G63.

Is that a lot of money or a screaming bargain? That depends on whether you see it as merely a luxurious SUV with nostalgic styling or an icon, perfected.